Company culture. This big buzz word seems to be looming over just about any conversation about recruiting talent and building a solid workforce. Do you know where you stand when it comes to culture? Take our quiz below to find out.

The search is on! How do you best describe your recruiting process?

A. Post description to job board. Get a million and five resumes. Match keywords. Weed out anyone without a cover letter. Interview three candidates. Pick candidate with most relevant experience. Done and done.

B. We have a sense of the gaps we need filled, but I’m looking for a person more so than a role. We start with referrals from our team – work from the outside in before starting to have conversations with prospective hires. I’m really looking for personality fit and growth potential.

C. Throw out some feelers and give first-responders a shot. I’m not entirely sure how half the team ended up here... Besides, the nature of our work weeds out the bad fits early on.

You’re hired! How do you best describe onboarding a new team member?

A. Welcome. Clock in at 9AM. After we cross T’s and dot I’s with paperwork, HR will escort you to your cube. Online training will take up the rest of day one. If time permits, you may even be able to pick out your very own stapler and motivational quote poster from the supply closet.

B. You’re here and we’re thrilled! On your first day, we have a signature onboarding process that knocks out the HR essentials and gets you set up with the software/hardware you need for your new role. As you’re getting settled in, your new teammates are swinging by to say hello – all of whom know your first name already. While a colleague is giving you the grand tour, your manager has slipped a hand-written note in your chair welcoming you to the team.

C. Did they even know I was coming? Dive on in, the water is warm! We hope you had your Wheaties this morning because it’s sink or swim in these waters. If HR remembers to ask you for your W-9, cool. Otherwise, good luck!

Moving on. Well, it’s so long for now and off to the next thing. How do you best describe off-boarding a team member?

A. Clock out at 5PM. There’s cake in the break room. If you’ve been here for 5 years, you get to keep your stapler.

B. We wish you the best, but there are no surprises here. We’ve already had you transitioning your role to your replacement. After a couple thorough exit interviews with your leadership team, we know exactly why you’re stepping away and are doing our best to part amicably. If there is an opportunity for improvement on our end, it’s been noted!

C. What’s his face didn’t show up for work this morning? Bummer. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

Celebrate! There’s a win for the books and you’re giving your employee a clap on the back by:

A. $25 gift card to Starbucks and a half-day on Friday.

B. YAS! The CEO has sent an email to the entire company about the big win with a message of gratitude for all the hard work and contributions that made the magic happen. Later you all will celebrate by popping some bubbly and doing a toast with the team.

C. Kudos. Now there are a million and twelve other things to do, so eye on the prize!

He said, she said. How best describes how your team would receive a significant company-wide announcement?

A. Memos work. Likely an email “from the Founder” drafted by the Executive Assistant depending on level of importance. That covers it.

B. The first round of communication would be an email with a video message embedded from the CEO that clearly communicates the change, who all would be directly affected and any instructions for moving forward – combination of digital efficiency with Facetime. A day or two later, there would be another round of communication from team leads reiterating the message and addressing any questions. We may even go for round three to make sure everyone is in the know.

C. Spontaneity is fun. Most of our employees figure stuff out chatting around the water cooler after their morning cry into their coffee cups.

On a scale of one to 10, you would rate yourself where when it comes to employee flexibility?

A. One to three is forgiving. We clock in and out with an hour for lunch – preferably taken at noon. We are big on black and white structure and insist on desktops so our employees don’t stray.

B. We hover between 5 to 7. Although we do have processes and structure for the sake of sanity and making sure our team knows what’s expected, we aren’t big on rigid. As long as the job gets done on time, you are welcome to take your laptop and post in the park for all I care.

C. Zero fudges given, so that makes us a 10. Structure is for the birds and ain’t nobody got time for keeping tabs on you.

The Traditionalist (Mostly A)

You’ve been doing the same things the same way since you can remember. You find comfort in structure and predictability. For the most part, you don’t see harm in “we’ve always done it this way” because that has worked just fine for you thus far. Sure, you don’t have a ping pong table in the break room, but your team knows exactly where you stand and what to expect when it comes to getting the job done. How do people know how to plan their workday if everyone isn’t on the clock from 9-5? Preposterous! When it comes to finding new talent, you are all about that skill-match, man. We’re not here to bond - we are here to work.

This is all well and good, but heed our cautionary words that times are changing and clinging to old-school culture may not attract the fresh blood and new talent you crave from the Millennial and Gen Z workforce. These up-and-coming workforces of nature crave significance and independence – they will be inspired by contributing to a greater movement and will want to be acknowledged for personal contributions to the cause.

The Established (Mostly B)

Although you appreciate efficient process and communication, you are comfortable with doing things YOUR own way. You take pride in having a distinct company identity and personality. You like looking around the room and knowing exactly why each of your team members is involved and how they are inspired by your vision. As long as the work is getting done on time to your standards, how it gets done is inconsequential. When it comes finding new talent, you look for personality fit first knowing that skills can be cultivated.

Well played, friend. You have an established company culture that, because it is distinct and aligns with your mission, will attract the right talent to build your team. You are doing the balancing act between personality and structure but seem to have found the sweet spot. Much like keeping a garden, the trick here is to keep tending to your flowers while plucking those weeds.

Winging It (Mostly C)

Lord of the Flies makes you look tame. You’ve got way too much sh*t going on to worry about process or structure. It’s all about that money, honey, and if you can’t dive in and figure it out then it’s time to thin the herd. An hour for lunch? I’ve been living off power bars and caffeine drips for weeks. Email? If I need info from you, I’ll lob my stress ball at your face until you answer. When it comes to finding new talent, you throw newbies in the deep end and see if they swim. Only the strong or senseless survive and you dig it.

Gear down big truck. All this chest-thumping sounds great in theory, but you’re building your house on sand. Although you’re going a mile a minute, you’re losing resources on high turnover and ineffective operations, which are probably adding up to lost revenue. As for fresh talent, this kind of culture tends to attract those who are desperate or never have a prayer of being team players – not your all-stars who are looking to build a career. This approach may get the job done today, but will have you crashing tomorrow. Big business is a marathon, not a sprint after all.

Not loving where you landed on the culture quiz, or want to talk more about how to stay in that sweet spot? Let’s chat! We are big on cultivating culture here at OneinaMil and are at the ready to help you craft a company culture that makes your team sing and attracts all-star talent.

I get to spend my Mondays working in a laid back, fun, and bright co-working space on King Street in downtown Charleston! It really is a cool place, it reminds me of a scene from a lifestyle blogger’s Instagram feed. It has a great coffee and wine bar where they serve delicious frozen rosé that they affectionately call Frosé! Recently, I was at work on a Monday, it was President’s Day and apparently a lot of people have that Monday off, because it was busy and the Frose was flowing!! I was having a productive day getting emails sent, interviews coordinated, and strategizing with my boss. Before we go on, you should know, I have a habit of eavesdropping on pretty much all of the conversations happening around me. I can’t help it- I love people! I want to know how they react, their stories, their families, all of it! This particular Monday was perfect outside, so we spent some time with our laptops on the patio. I couldn’t help but hear a guy who was enjoying the day with his girlfriend (maybe fiance, I mean, I wasn’t going to look for a ring- I’m not that nosey) and her parents. He was going on and on about how he was so happy he was not at his “miserable job”. He was explaining how he would have been just getting out of a painfully boring staff meeting and would be heading into an equally boring appointment. I got the feeling he wasn’t just happy to be on vacation, but he really hated his job. It wasn’t just this guy either, his mother-in-law chimed in that she was already excited about a short work-week because that meant next weekend would come sooner. I also heard a young woman telling her mom that she would “have totally died if she had to go into work today”. If you find yourself in this boat keep reading. If you don’t relate, still read on and be prepared!

I look at it this way- everyone deserves to be happy and find fulfillment! If you are not happy and fulfilled, there is a next step waiting for you. It is probably one of these three!

1 - Find a new job. Maybe your boss is awful, the company you work for is a dark cloud, and you really do have nothing to look forward to there. If that is the case, be proactive and look for a new job. Don’t be scared of the unknown, there are so many exciting companies and opportunities out there once you start to look! Don’t mutter another complaint unless you are going to do something about it!

2 - Is it you? Be gut-wrenching honest with yourself. This one might hurt a little bit. Are you the reason you do not enjoy what you are doing? Maybe you have gotten into a pattern of negativity that you don’t even realize started with you. Listen, I get it, I have been there. It starts with a slight “woe-is-me” feeling and next thing you know you feel like the whole company is out to get you. If that hit too close to home for you, pause right now and speak truth to yourself. Your company probably is not terrible and they probably don’t all hate you. Decide now to be grateful for your job and when you walk into work tomorrow, walk in with your head held high and a new perspective. You might surprise yourself!

3 - Initiate a shift. Yes, it is true that culture and success rise and fall on leadership, but that doesn’t mean you have no influence. Start by making sure you come into work with a “can-do” attitude (re-read #2). Then work on your own communication. Communication I believe is the lynch pin to a great culture. When you are communicating well there is no room for people to assume. This not only makes the operations of your business run smoother, it also cuts down on drama, rumors, and basic ill feelings. Don’t be scared to talk. By you focusing on communication, keeping a great outlook, and not engaging in negativity, you can begin a shift in company culture!

These three options all start with you making a decision to not be miserable. So, I ask again- what are you doing about it?

At One in a Mil we believe that work shouldn’t suck and that you should look forward to Mondays just as much as you look forward to Fridays. Reach out to us today if you are ready to take the plunge! You can find us on social media or email us at knock.knock@oneinamil.com!

Cheers!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Blaine West, Recruitment Operations Manager

She is originally from Atlanta, but has called the Charleston area home for the past 11 years. After graduating from The Citadel with a degree in business, Blaine went to work on the people side of the tech world and fell in love with it. She now works alongside the recruiters at One in a Mil trying to perfect the process and give an over-the-top experience to our candidates and clients!

As many human resource professionals know, the recruitment world continues to grow alongside the booming tech scene. The team at OneinaMil has set lofty goals for 2018 to keep up with these positive growing pains in silicon harbor. The pains a 14-year-old boy rejoices because it means he may actually start to grow facial hair. As many companies across Charleston have found their niche within the software market, talent acquisition has turned into one of the smartest investments for employers as their demand outgrows their supply.

While simultaneously keeping company culture in mind, OneinaMil serves as a talent matchmaker but not exactly for your love life (although, we may know someone). Based on our own culture and foundation, we find individuals who wouldn’t come to you through automated online searches such as Indeed or ZipRecruiter. We keep the human connection within finding you the best and brightest candidates. These individuals will not only check off your job description requirements but will share your similar values, enjoy your workplace environment and remain loyal to your company mission.

As the talent acquisition market has thrived, so has the number of recruiters, creating higher competition for those looking for “purple unicorns”. The ability to get creative as a recruiter is a must have and shouldn’t be left off of your list when hiring a specialist. Outsourcing this task can help save your company time and money, as one bad hire can cost you potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Social media marketing has become an impactful tool in recruitment and there has been an increase in online engagement for most modernized or tech facing companies. Similarly, millennials have supported a culture where you brand yourself on social media channels. These whippersnappers are even meeting people online from synonymous dating apps such as Tinder or Bumble. Although this culture doesn’t always promote genuine relationships, it is cost-effective (aka free) and connects you with singles in your area. Similar to many networking sites such as LinkedIn, these various dating sites allow you to connect with those you find “intriguing” or however you want to put it.

After recently making a move to Charleston, SC to work for OneinaMil, I dabbled in the Tinder app to try and find my soulmate. Ok, I’m just joking. However, I am on the app and I do find it helpful to network with people, even if they don’t end up being my forever and always. Recently, I had noticed the app allows individuals to list their workplace or career title on their profile, which sparked an idea as a technical recruiter. My creative nature took this as a sign that I should be using various outlets to align passion with opportunity. Not only could I gauge some of their soft-skills but I could market our roles as a young, single gal in Charleston.

Although Tinder is not by any means my main tool in connecting with developers or software engineers, I don't want to overlook its potential. It may be somewhat passive in that there is no boolean search to weed out or itemize software engineers, but hey, every now and then you strike gold. If you find someone who aligns with what you’re looking for in a candidate, meet for coffee with them and explain your intentions in building a professional connection. Brand yourself professionally on Tinder and use it against the dating culture to promote your own passion within your career. You may end up finding a friend, if nothing else.

As a recruiter, it’s easy to become selfish and narrow your network down to those you only need for a specific client or requisition. The easy way to recruit and make lots of money is to sling resumes but that’s not the right nor effective way. By removing passion and culture, not only are you cutting out the most important part out of hiring but you’re not understanding how building a trusting network can be a gift that never stops giving. By growing your network and making sure individuals know that you are there when they start to feel stagnant or unvalued, you are opening doors to infinite opportunity.

Always be willing to listen, empathize, understand and help. Even if you are unable to help in that present moment, you can leave a warm open door, where people will remember you and let you help them in the future. Don’t be afraid to take creative steps in recruiting outside of your 9-5 job. You can network and connect with anyone, no matter the occasion. I’ve even tried to do so in the sauna at my gym - no kidding. The human connection is so real, so underrated and so important in making placements that benefit both the client and candidate long-term. Lastly, stay human and remember that you have the power to make an endless impact on someone’s life! Make it a kind and happy one!

About the Author

Madison Loomis, Technical Recruitment Manager

Originally from Narragansett, Rhode Island, Madison began her career as a recruiter through a part-time role while finishing her undergrad degree within a non-profit healthcare organization. Upon graduation, she moved her talents down to Charleston, SC to find home-run candidates alongside a rock-star team with OneinaMil, LLC.